Beatrix von Bähr
Beatrix von Bähr (ベアトリクス・フォン・バル; Beatorikusu fon Baru) was a shinigami and lord of Britannia's 10th Division, which specialized in dragoon warfare. Beatrix utilized an unorthodox style of combat compared to most other shinigami of her soul society, which stemmed from her zanpakutō. She was a descendant of the first Chancellor: the fortress Neuschwanstein was her family's residence until her ancestor's death. Biography Early years Born within the 10th District of Britannia, Beatrix grew up admiring the image of the 10th Division Dragoons, and was ecstatic when she was discovered to have a strong reiatsu. Her studies at the Academy were initially diligent, though the excitement of becoming a royal guard gradually faded away. She graduated with above-average grades, and was admitted into the dragoons as she had wanted before. The circumstances revolving around her promotion to lord were hazy in nature. Following the mysterious death of the previous 10th Division Lord, Beatrix, despite being an aide, stepped forward to claim the position. Although she was rejected by the other lords, she proved her skills in combat by defeating the aide-de-camp that succeeded the deceased lord with the entire 10th Division witnessing, as well as the three lords that were present at the aide-de-camp's insistence. Beatrix's victory allowed her to obtain lordship. Twelfth Division Rebellion Beatrix was a lord during the time of the Twelfth Division Rebellion. She was first seen pressing the rest of the lords at a meeting to quarantine the former Twelfth Division due to a rise of suspicious activity from the division’s Heaven District detected by her division’s watchmen. The lord was met with opposition, especially from the division’s captain, Anthony Iscariot, who objected to the claims and proclaimed himself innocent. Beatrix instead demanded that an inspection team be organized to investigate the region. After much debate, the inspection proposal passed. Despite this, Anthony secretly blocked the orders from being sent. When the rebellion began, Beatrix’s dragoons were the first to react to the uprising and moved in to quell the rebellion. Believing that the rebels were attempting to break from the Twelfth Division, Beatrix contacted Anthony and attempted to rendezvous with the other. However, Anthony backstabbed Beatrix, revealing himself to be the mastermind of the plot. Due to being seriously wounded by Anthony, Beatrix was forced to retreat after a brief duel to defend herself. She collapsed before she could return to the dragoon’s temporary headquarters in the 12th District and had to be carried the rest of the way by her adjutant. Personality and traits Beatrix took a stance of authority on important matters, placing emphasis on forwarding her opinions on a subject. She was subject to much scrutiny by the Guard Division, much to her own distaste, following some of her more questionable decisions as a lord. Her overall ability to trust other individuals seemed to be largely limited, even within her own division, since she only spoke with her adjutant about sensitive matters. The lord also exercised strict protocol among her subordinates, stating that the tactics of the division required near-perfect execution of maneuvers in order to maximize the division's effectiveness. Rarely did Beatrix look upon shinigami from the Soul Society of Japan on the same level. She tended to look down upon the Gotei 13, believing that they were ineffective and inefficient when it came to dealing with crises. However, Beatrix appeared to respect the Gotei 13's members to some degree, ordering her men to stop bothering the Japanese shinigami and get back on the job. She also referred to her own men as messengers when communicating with the Japanese shinigami, as was the custom for royal guards. Powers and abilities Immerse Spiritual Pressure: As a lord, Beatrix has considerable spiritual pressure in comparison to other shinigami. It was easily classified as captain-level strength. Swordsmanship Master: Due to her unusual dual-blade fighting style, Beatrix had to train differently compared to most other royal guards. However, the special training allowed Beatrix to use her opponents' unfamiliarity with her fighting style to quickly gain the upper hand. Flash Step Master: Beatrix was believed to be the fastest flash stepper of the Royal Guard, combining speed with her skills with her soul blade. She was known to skewer numerous hollows with her lance in one step. Keen Perception: Perhaps due to the power of her soul blade, Beatrix has demonstrated great skill in learning about others through the smallest of gestures. It was said that no one could lie to her without Beatrix noticing it. Soul Blade Maiden of Orleans was Beatrix's soul blade. It came in the form of a longsword in its sealed state. The longside had a lightly curved guard the color of faded gold while the blade had no noteworthy features. Released form: The blade was released with the incantation "Gaze into the future and foresee what is to come." When released, the Maiden of Orleans became a short sword and lance, making it a dual-type soul blade. Beatrix typically wielded the short sword with her right hand and the lance with her left hand, despite preferring to skewer her opponents with the lance due to its superior reach. :Release special ability: When the Maiden of Orleans came in contact with the target, Beatrix could temporarily read the mind of the target. In doing so, she could predict a future maneuver or even discern the tactics that was planned to be utilized against her. However, the mental link lasted only as long as the Maiden of Orleans was in contact with the victim in some way. Behind the scenes The character was the first shinigami of Britannia to be revealed. She was designed to be the image of a typical member of the Britannian Royal Guard. The Maiden of Orleans is a reference to the French warrior-maiden Joan of Arc who, despite the dismissive attitude of the commanders already there, lifted the siege at Orleans in nine days. The act was considered a turning point in the Hundred Years' War. Category:Articles by LaviBookman Category:Britannia Category:Female Category:Lords Category:Shinigami Category:Character